The invention relates to a wiper blade for a windshield wiper device for a vehicle, especially a motor vehicle, with a wiper squeegee, which is held and guided on a support system. The support system has a main support which is, at-least in sections, essentially U-shaped in cross-section, and can be hinged to a wiper arm so as to rotate around an axis running transversely to its longitudinal direction. At its opposite ends, a claw support is connected, either directly, or across an intermediate support, in the claws of this claw support, the headpiece of the wiper squeegee is mounted. The main support has a wind-directing device which uses the oncoming relative wind to amplify the down-force of the wiper squeegee against the windshield to be wiped. The wind-directing device is set up on the front side of the main support turned toward the relative wind and is manufactured in one piece with this main support.
A wiper blade of this type, from which the invention proceeds, is known, for example, from German Utility Patent DE 93.10 261.5 U1. A disadvantage of this known wiper blade is that the wind-directing device is shorter than the total length of the main support, so that it ends even before the hinge points for the claw supports or intermediate supports on the opposite end sections of the main support. The effective aerodynamic area of such a wind-directing device is too small to produce the greatest possible effect with regard to amplifying the down-force. In addition, this wind-directing device directly adjoins the lower edge of the front side wall (turned toward the relative wind) of the main support. The wind-directing device, looking at a cross-section of the main support thus forms an angle with the vertical front side wall pointing toward the automotive windshield. The aerodynamics of such a wiper blade with regard to an amplifying effect on the down-force of the wiper squeegee against the windshield to be wiped are thus not optimal.
The object of the invention is to improve a wiper blade of the type initially described, in order to achieve a greater aerodynamic down-force action.